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SMJ Sports Radio Madness

With Bob Costas’ seat still warm following his departure this week from HBO to the MLB Network comes word today that HBO will replace Costas with Joe Buck. From the HBO press release:

“I am flattered and beyond excited that HBO has given me this opportunity,” said Buck, who will continue as FOX Sports’ lead play-by-play commentator on its NFL and MLB packages. “With HBO’s track record, production quality and rate of success, there is no more desirable home in sports. I hope to create something fresh and unique for the network that truly showcases all I can do. And I hope to get Larry David’s cell phone number someday.”

“At HBO we strive to produce programs viewers cannot watch anywhere else on the dial,” said Greenburg. “Whether it’s ‘Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel’ or ‘Hard Knocks’ or our ‘Sports of the 20th Century’ documentary franchise, we try to capture our audience’s attention with something unique and innovative. With someone as talented and engaging as Joe Buck, this new show should become another signature program for HBO Sports.”

“We will craft the series to showcase Joe’s character and personality,” said Bernstein. “Joe is a tremendous broadcaster and weare thrilled to develop this new platform with him.”

It will be interesting to see how Buck will fit in his new role as studio host, comething he has not done too much of at Fox.

It has all come down to this. After four weeks of intense battle and dedicated voting, the championship match-up of the SMJ Sports Radio Madness sports host tournament is upon us. The survivors of this match-up are JT The Brick from Fox Sports Radio and Tim Brando of Sporting News Radio.

JT The Brick– JT The Brick joined Fox Sports Radio as the afternoon host in June 2001. JT first gained national attention hosting a popular overnight show on more than 100 stations for SportsFan Radio Network. Get more on JT here.

Tim Brando- Tim Brando attained national celebrity in front of the camera as the host of CBS Sports’ College Football Today and At the Half, CBS Sports’ college basketball halftime studio show. Brando also provides commentary for Jefferson Pilot’s coverage of SEC and ACC basketball broadcasts and has been a participant in the SEC-focused athletic radio show Conference Call, which airs throughout the Southeast. Get more on Tim here.

The three of the final four contestants in the SMJ Sports Radio Madness sports talk host tournament work for Sporting News Radio. One will be eliminated here as Tim Brando battles Todd Wright in this semifinal match-up.

Tim Brando- Tim Brando attained national celebrity in front of the camera as the host of CBS Sports’ College Football Today and At the Half, CBS Sports’ college basketball halftime studio show. Brando also provides commentary for Jefferson Pilot’s coverage of SEC and ACC basketball broadcasts and has been a participant in the SEC-focused athletic radio show Conference Call, which airs throughout the Southeast. Get more on Tim here.

Todd Wright- Name any major sporting event and Todd Wright has covered it. Name any famous stadium or arena and Todd Wright has visited it. Name any sports topic and Todd Wright has an opinion on it. For over a decade and a half, Todd has made sports both his personal and professional way of life. From his first on-air position as a play-by-play voice of the Hurricanes as a student at the University of Miami to his most recent work anchoring tournament coverage on the PGA Tour Network, Todd has pretty much done it all. And what he hasn’t, he aspires to do next. Get Todd’s complete bio.

Will the David Stein machine keep rolling along? Or will JT The Brick put an end to the upset-minded 23 seed? It’s our second semifinal match-up between the Fox Sports Radio late night host and Sporting News Radio’s overnight talker.

JT The Brick– JT The Brick joined Fox Sports Radio as the afternoon host in June 2001. JT first gained national attention hosting a popular overnight show on more than 100 stations for SportsFan Radio Network. Get more on JT here.

David Stein- The David Stein Show has broken the boundaries of traditional sports talk radio. David is transforming the lives of people across the country and around the world through his visionary approach to issues affecting the world of sports and how those issues affect our lives.
The David Stein Show is heard on 115 radio stations, including The Score in Chicago, The Ticket in Dallas, KILT in Houston, Sports Radio 950 in Philadelphia, WXYT in Detroit, 106.7 Free FM in Washington DC, Supertalk FM 96.5 in Cincinnati and FMTalk 93.9 in Indianapolis and 1010 XL in Jacksonville. More about David here.

Here we go with the quarterfinals of the SMJ Sports Radio Madness sports radio host tournament. The theme of the contests so far is upsets. Our first match-up is one featuring colleagues from Sporting News Radio, Todd Wright and Arnie Spanier.

Todd Wright- Name any major sporting event and Todd Wright has covered it. Name any famous stadium or arena and Todd Wright has visited it. Name any sports topic and Todd Wright has an opinion on it. For over a decade and a half, Todd has made sports both his personal and professional way of life. From his first on-air position as a play-by-play voice of the Hurricanes as a student at the University of Miami to his most recent work anchoring tournament coverage on the PGA Tour Network, Todd has pretty much done it all. And what he hasn’t, he aspires to do next. Get Todd’s complete bio.

Arnie Spanier- Talk about a career that has gone full circle. Spanier joined Sporting News Radio after beginning his career with the very same company (as the Sports Entertainment Network). After his debut year on SEN in Las Vegas, Arnie ventured south across the desert to Phoenix, honing his skill at the local level. After two years in PM drive, he was lured back to the network side with One-on-One Sports. Here’s more on Arnie.